Thumb and finger protector



A. E. DETWILER. THUMB AND FINGER PROTECTOR. m'rucmon men nus. 1a. 1921.

Patented May 16, 1922.

I "I Ji U l T E ALFRED E. DETW'ILER, 0E CHICAGO,

s E at! e i. tea.

ILLINOIS.

THUMB AND FINGER PROTECTOR;

Application filed August 19, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED E. DETWILER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Thumb and Finger Protectors, of which the following is a full. clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Iy invention contemplates the provision of thumb and finger protectors that are particularly adapted for use by an operator of a power driven wringer to prevent the thumbs and fingers of the operator .from being crushed or otherwise injured by the rollers or other wringer mechanism. The device of my in vention" furthermore prevents the thumbs and fingers from being scalded by hot wash water and, in fact, permits the operator to work in hot water without discomfort.

The device of my invention is particularly advantageous when used to protect the thumbs and fingers from injury by hot water or by wringer mechanism, but I appreciate that my invention is suitable for use in a great variety of domestic and industrial operations. I

The device herein shown and described and subsequently claimed comprises a lin ger receptacle and a thumb receptacle. These receptacles are preferably rigid and are formed of a good heat insulating material, such, for instance, as wood. Each of the receptaclesis provided with an open end to receive the thumb or fingers, as the case maybe, and these open ends are covered with suitable flexible material such as soft rubber, the flexible material in turn being provided with openings through which the thumb and fingers are inserted, the margins of the openings being adapted to fit snugly around the base of the thumb and each finger. The receptacles are connected by a flexible Web. This Web preferably forms an integral part of the hereinbefore mentioned flexible coverings of the thumb and finger receptacles.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a my invention,

Figure l is a perspective illustrating the preferred embodiment of Specification of Letters Patent. I

operating parts of the Patented May it, rose. Serial No. 493,530.

device of my invention as it appears when applied to the hand of a user,

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the device, and p Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

* eferring tothe drawings, reference letter A indicates'the finger receptacle, and let ter B the thumb receptacle. Each of these receptacles is hollow, open at one end, and is formed of a suitable heat insulating material that possesses inherent strength and rigidity. The'receptacles'may be formed of a variety of materials. Many kinds of wood, particularly a goodgrade of white pine, are verysuitable for my purpose. The

tips of the'receptacles are preferably blunt, and the receptacle walls are preferably thickened at the since it is the tips of the receptacles which are most apt to be required to withstand pressing stresses. i 1

At C I have indicated apiece of flexible and preferablystretchable material, such as soft rubber, this piece of rubber comprising three principal parts, that is, a finger receptacle cover 11, a thumb receptacle 'cover 12, and a connecting web 13. The. receptacle cover portionslland 12 may be retained upon the receptacles in any suitable manner but are preferably provided with portions I'd--14 which engage tightly around and under the receptacle beads a. b. The receptacle covers 11 and 12'are preferably drawn comparatively taut, andare provided with finger and thumb insertion openings designated'at' ll", 11 and 12 respectively; The several openingsll 11", and-12 areof such diameters that the "margins thereof cling tightly to the thumb and fingers of the user and retain the receptacles in position, and at the same time prevent the ingress of water into the receptacles through the cover openings.

The Web 13 permits the thumb receptacle to be manipulated with the utmost freedom. I find that a user in feeding clothes to a wringer has no diificulty in grasping and manipulating the clothes with the thumb and finger receptacle of the device of my invention. The thick, blunt tips of the retip as indic t 10;),

ceptacles effectively prevent injury to the user from the wringer rollers, and the receptacle walls both separate and insulate the thumbs and fingers from hot water. The device is conveniently made to fit either hand.

In someoperations it is desirable to protect both hands of the operator with devices of my invention. In other operations, of course, one of the devices will sufiice.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States is:

1. A thumb and finger protecting device, comprising a hollow thumb receptacle of rigid material, and a hollow finger receptacle of similar material, each of. said receptacles being open at one end and provided with an open end covering of flexible material, there being thumb and finger insertion openings in said covering, and a flexible web connecting the open ends of the receptacles.

2. A thumb and finger protecting device, comprising a hollow thumb receptacle of heat insulating material, and a hollow finger receptacle of similar material, each of said receptacles being open at one end and being provided with an end covering of flexible material, there being thumb and finger insertion openings in said coverings, and a flexible web connecting the open ends of the receptacles.

3. A thumb and'finger protecting device, comprising a hollow thumb receptacle of rigid material, and a hollow finger receptacle of similar material, each of said receptacle being provided with an open end and carrying an open end covering of stretchable materiah'there being thumb and finger openings in said coverings, and a web of flexible, stretchable material connecting the open ends of the receptacles.

l. A thumb and finger protector, comprising a hollow thumb receptacle of rigid material, and a hollow finger receptacle of similar material, each of said receptacles being open at one end, and being provided with an open end covering of flexible material, there being thumb and finger insertion openings in said coverings, and a flexible web connecting the open ends of the receptacles, said web being formed integral with the open end coverings aforesaid.

A thumb and finger protector of the class described, comprisinga hollow thumb receptacle of wood, having an opening at one end thereor", a finger receptacle of similar material, said finger receptacle being hollow and being open at one end thereof, together with a strip of flexible, stretchable material which constitutes coverings for the open ends of said receptacles and also provides a web between the open ends of said receptacles, said strip of flexible, stretchable material being provided with thumb and finger insertion openings for the purpose set forth.

6. A hand protecting device comprising a hollow receptacle of rigid material open at one end and provided with an open end covering of flexible material, there being finger insertion openings in said cover adapted to snugly engage the fingers of the user inserted therethrough.

7. A hand protecting device comprising a hollow receptacle of rigid heat insulating and waterproof material, said receptacle being provided with an open end having a covering of stretchable material, there being openings in said covering arranged to snugly engage the fingers of the user inserted therethrough.

8. A hand protecting device comprising a hollow thumb receptacle of rigid material and a hollow finger receptacle of similar material, each of said receptacles being open at one end and provided with an open end covering of flexible material, there being thumb and finger insertion openings in said covering.

9. A hand protecting device comprising a hollow thumb receptacle of rigid heat-insulating and waterproof material, and a hollow finger receptacle of similar material, cach out said receptacles being open at one end and provided with an end covering of flexible material, there being thumb and finfier insertion openings in said covering ar ranged to snugly engage the extremities of the hand of the user inserted therethrough.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of August, 1921.

ALFRED E. DETWILER.

Witnesses:

EDNA V. GUsrArsoN, J. DAVID DICKINSON. 

